Kalabasa and sitaw simmered in coconut milk with pork belly and bagoong. The key is mashing some of the cooked kalabasa to thicken the sauce naturally.
Kalabasa goes soft and sweet in coconut milk, sitaw stays just crisp enough to snap, and pork belly adds fat and chew. Bagoong gives it that fermented funk that makes you want more rice.
The trick here is mashing some of the cooked squash into the sauce—it thickens everything without needing extra coconut milk or cornstarch, and the kalabasa flavor gets into every spoonful.
Don’t skip browning the pork first. Those rendered bits stuck to the pan become the base of your sauce, and the crispy edges give you texture against all that creamy coconut. The bagoong needs a minute to cook with the aromatics so it mellows out and distributes evenly instead of hitting you in salty patches. And timing matters with the sitaw—add them too early and they turn mushy, but five minutes at the end keeps them green and just tender enough to bite through cleanly.
Render pork. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add pork belly and cook until browned and some fat has rendered, about 5-6 minutes.
Build base. Add onions and cook for 1 minute until they start to soften. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant and onions are translucent. Stir in bagoong and 4-5 cubes of kalabasa, mix well. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of water and add pork cube. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes until kalabasa pieces are completely soft. Mash them right in the pan with the back of a spoon or spatula — this thickens the sauce and makes it creamier.
Cook vegetables. Add the remaining kalabasa cubes and stir. Pour another cup of water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally so the coconut milk doesn’t split. Add sitaw and cook for 5 minutes or until tender but still crunchy.
Adjust and serve. Adjust seasoning with fish sauce and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with rice or as a side dish.